By Mike Nistler

I had a funny moment the other day as I hauled the snowblower out of the garden shed and moved it into the garage in anticipation of snow season.

I should have known something was going to happen when a saw mice scurrying as I opened the garden shed. And, I should have had another clue as a saw a mouse scamper away as I pushed the snowblower to the garage.

I wasn’t even fully aware of what was happening as my three dogs sniffed madly around the snowblower.

But when I tried to start the machine, a mouse flew out of the chute where snow usually comes from.

Darn it. Mice built a nest inside the snowblower.

I looked, but couldn’t find any evidence of a nest.

I tired to start the machine again and another mouse went hurtling through the air. This one did not escape the dogs as did the first two.

I haven’t seen any more mice since then. Of course, I haven’t been able to get the snowblower running either. I hope they didn’t do major damage to it!

By Mike Nistler

Well, it’s been more than a month since I have written in this space. Sorry to all of you who were expecting me to be a regular correspondent.

Life has been busy. I don’t know where to begin.

First, I am now the sole owner of Minnesota Moments. It’s a long story, but I’m trying to keep the magazine going in a very difficult economic time. I am positive that I will be succesful.

Also, my daughters have moved, one to Chicago, the other to Morris, Minn. the two towns couldn’t be more different. Chicago is a hustling, bustling metropolis. Morris is a small farm town. Both daughters love their surroundings. How can children raised by the same parents be so different?

There is so much more news to share, but so little time.

I’ll try to be better, but how can I when I’m a die-hard Twins and Viking fan? The Twins are fighting for a playoff spot; the Vikings are off to a 3-0 start and face their bitter rivals, the Green Bay Packers, this Monday night.

And then there is the changing of seasons. I’m getting ready for raking and winterizing and …

By Mike Nistler

I can’t believe it. The Minnesota State Fair opens this Thursday! Where did the summer go?

Going to the fair has been a tradition in our family for a number of years. But this year, as we face an empty nest again (more on that in a coming blog), it’s just my wife and I, and she’s coming off knee surgery.

So, it remains to be seen whether we make the annual pilgrimage down to the land of food on a stick and band shell performances.

If I don’t go, I’ll miss it. There is something about the “sameness” of the fair that is comforting. I remember traveling to the fair as a youngster with my parents. Today, many of the foodstands and exhibits are in the same place as they were back then, some 40 years ago.

Of course, as kids we didn’t get to do the daring stuff like the Midway, although one year my dad did take me and my brothers to a stock car race at the Grandstand. I just remember that it was loud. Oh, and we also got to go see a motorcyclist ride his bike up the inside of a silo. Centrifugal force, I guess they call it. That was loud as well.

But mostly, being sons of a farmer, we spent our time on Machinery Hill. We didn’t much care for hanging out with the tractors and farm animals since that wasn’t a vast departure from our day-to-day lives, but it was fun just the same.

As I got older my trips to the fair started to be with other people. Good-bye Machinery Hill, hello band shells, beer gardens and Whack-a-mole (again, more on that later).

By Mike Nistler

Despite today’s hot and humid weather, I decided to do a bit of therapy. My thereapy isn’t done on a counselor’s couch, but rather outdoors among my gardens and ponds.

It had been a while since I paid attention to my vegetable and flower gardens. The weeds had started to take hold.

It was time fo rme to fight back. I had a good time pulling weeds, turning soil and transplanting some overgrown hostas and flowers.

I also re-worked one of my water features, something I love to do.

It was relaxing getting my hands dirty, sweating, and stepping back to see the progress I had made.

I always thought if I weren’t a writer, I’d be a landscape artist or professional gardener. Maybe I’d install ponds for a living. The only problem with that career path is that I’d much rather be doing all that hard work in my own yard instead of someone else’s. Of course, if I were to get paid…

By Mike Nistler

OK, here it is, Sunday, and it’s been several days since I wrote in this space. What happened to the time?

I guess I could lie and tell you that my computer washed away in all of the rain we’ve received in the last few days. Rain measurements in these parts were as much as 4 inches, which is great for the crops, good for the lawns, but not so good if you had weekend plans. At least we were spared the tornadoes and damaging winds that parts of the metro area received.

Today’s weather is hot and humid, which is appropriate for this time of summer, the dog days, as they are known by some. My dogs don’t much care for the rain, nor the heat and humidity. They prefer sunny skies and temperatures about 20 degrees cooler. Chasing tennis balls when you’ve got a coat of fur on isn’t all that comfortable in this weather.